Dental fluoroscope



Sept. 29, 1925.

o. MORTENSEN DENTAL FLUOROSCOPE Filed March 15, 1920 wawS dz Dscar N MurTen5en @S SQ ZWf Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES OSCAR N. MORTENSEN, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, WISCONSIN.

DENTAL FLUOROSCOPE.

Application filed March 15,1920. Serial No. 365,745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR N. MoRTnNsnN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Grand Rapids, in the county of Wood and State of l/Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental F luoroscopes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention pertains to new and useful improvements in fluoroscopes and has particular reference to such a device for dental use.

At the present time dental surgeons make considerable use of the Rontgen rays in making photographs of teeth and the insides of patients mouths so as to better enable them to make the necessary treatment. In making such photographs, however, it is necessary to wait until the ne ative has been developed before the part p otographed can be examined, and this may take several days. Therefore I have adopted a fluoroscopic screen for use in connection with an X-ray machine so that the inside of teeth or other members within the oral cavity may be examined without the necessity of making photographs.

As a result a dentist may readily examine the progress of his work at any time and thus perform a certain operation much more effectively than is possible if he does not have this aid or if he has to wait until X-ray photographs have been prepared. The other ad- .vantages of examining parts of the human mouth with the aid of Rontgen rays without making photographs are numerous and obvious.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed fluoroscope for dental use which may be constructed in such a manner as to permit ready and effective sterilization.

With these general objects and advantages in view the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 represents a side elevational view, partly in section, of a fluoroscope constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a detail transverse section taken on the plane of the line 22 of Figure and I.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a slightly modified type of the invention, this beingcapable of use in a smaller mouth than the first mentioned form. I

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, especially to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that my invention consists of a cylindrical tubular casing 1 having one end flared outward as at 2 to provide an eye piece, whereas the opposite end is turnedlaterally as at 3. The axis of the main portion of the casing is substantially at right angles to that of the laterally extending portion 3. These two parts may be secured together in any preferred manner and at their intersection is located a fluoroscopio screen 4, the same being positioned at an angle of 45 to either of said axes. The open end of the laterally extending portion 3 may be closed by a suitable cap 5 when necessary.

The other form of the invention shown in Figure 3 also includes a cylindrical tubular casing 6 having an eye piece 7 at one end, its opposite end being closed by a wall 8, the angle of which is 45 to the longitudinal axis of the article. The portion of the wall of the casing 6 adjacent the end Wall 8 is provided with a substantially circular opening 9 for the reception of a fluoroscopic screen 10, and surrounding this opening is a cap receiving flange 11 on which a cap 12 may be placed. The inner surface of the end walls 8 is provided with a mirror 13 for reflecting the images visible on the fluoroscopic screen 10 into and longitudinally of the casmg 6.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 may be termed a direct type of fluoroscope, whereas the other form 18 an indirect type in view of the reflecting mirror 13. With the parts arranged as in the indirect type, the fiuoroscope may be made somewhat smaller for use in a patients mouth of smaller size.

In either case, however, the articles may be used in the same manner, the ends of the casings which house the fluoroscopic screen being inserted in a patients mouth, whereby with the aid of rays from an X-ray machine, the insides of teeth and other parts are readily visible to the eye of the dentist at the opposite end of the casing. From this it will be seen that either type of the device may be as readily placed in a patients mouth as any other dental instrument. In view of the fact that devices of this: character are preferably constructed of metal, they are readily sterilized.

In addition to the changes, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, various others may be made to accommodate the invention to different uses, Without departing from the principles thereof or sacrificing" any of the obvious advantages.

P claim:

1. A fiuo'roscope" for dental use comprising an elongated cylindricalmetal casing'for a very short distapcehaving a sloping flange encircling oneend, the other end having a portion extending atright angles. to the main axis of the casing and adapted to be ins'erted-aina patients mouth, afiuoroscopic screen disposed across the elbow forme'dby the two-portions of the'casing and forming equalang'les with theaxes of the tWo portions, whereby the shadow formed by the X-rays on the screen will present the. same; appearance as if viewed through a directl fluoroscope on=a screen at right anglesto its axls.

2. A fluoroscope for dental use comprising an elongated cylindrical metal casing for a very short distance having a sloping flange encircling one end, the other end having a portion extending at right angles to the main axis-of the casingand adapted to be inserted in a patients mouth, a removable cap adapted to close the outer end' of saidright angle portion, a fluoroscopic screen disposedacross the elbow formed by thetxvo'porti'onsof the casing andforming equal angles with the axis'of the two portions, whereby the shadow formed by the X-raysonthe screen Will present the sameappearance as if viewed through a direct fiuoroscope on a screen at right angles to its axis.

In testimony that I cla'imthe foregoing I have'hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, in the county of Wood, and State of VVisconsin.

OSCAR N. MORTENSEN. 

